Audio 2:46
Afghanistan in the Cricket World Cup

Michael EdwardsUpdated
Sat 5 Oct 2013, 9:35 AM AEST

Afghans are rejoicing after their cricketers earned the war-torn country its first ever place in the Cricket World Cup tournament to be played in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.The Afghans beat Kenya by 7 wickets to qualify, they'll play in the same pool as Australia. Cricket isn't a traditional sport in the country but its popularity grew among Afghans who were forced to spend years in refugee camps in Pakistan.

Transcript

ELIZABETH JACKSON: Afghans are rejoicing after their cricketers earned the war-torn country its first ever place in the Cricket World Cup tournament to be played in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.

The Afghans beat Kenya by 7 wickets to qualify. They'll play in the same pool as Australia.

Cricket isn't a traditional sport in the country but its popularity grew among Afghans who were forced to spend years in refugee camps in Pakistan.

Here's our South Asia correspondent Mike Edwards.

COMMENTATOR: And Afghanistan are on their way to Australia and New Zealand!

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Having dismissed Kenya for 93, Mohammed Nabi made history for Afghanistan, smashing a boundary to win the game and qualify for the World Cup in 2015.

The Afghans won nine out of their 14 matches in the World Cricket League Championship held in Sharjah.

(Music and drumming)

In Afghanistan's capital Kabul, fans in cars and on motorbikes joined others on foot, cheering, dancing, beating drums, and waving the national flag.

AFGHAN 1 (translation): We are so glad today that we can't even express our feelings. This is the first time that our cricket team has the chance to play in the World Cup.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: It's a rare piece of good news for Afghanistan, a country struggling with war and more accustomed to dealing with death and destruction.

AFGHAN 2 (translation): We hope this victory brings a message of peace to all Afghans; we are so excited and have gathered to celebrate this win.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Unlike in other countries in South Asia where cricket dominates, Afghanistan is a relative latecomer to the sport.

Afghans largely resisted it when the British were in the country and it only started to become popular in the 1980s when millions of refugees were forced to flee the Soviet invasion and live in refugee camps in cricket-mad Pakistan.

Bowler Mirwais Ashraf says all Afghans are proud of their victory.

MIRWAIS ASHRAF: We are very thankful that we have such a huge support back home from tip to top, everyone is calling us and everyone loves us and everyone cheers for us.

MICHAEL EDWARDS: Afghanistan will join Pool A in the World Cup, facing cricketing heavyweights such as Australia and England.

But coach Kabir Khan says his team will not just be making up the numbers in the tournament.

KABIR KHAN: This is time for us to prove to the world that we are good enough and to prove that, we have to go and perform on the big stages. We are performing very well at the associate level, beating the teams sometimes comfortably, or mostly beating them, but obviously the big mark will be the display against the big boys, and beat them there.